I Remember Every Sunset
by lost-n-stereo
Summary: AU Summer fic. Puck is an employee at the Hawaiian resort Rachel is staying at. Rated M for swearing.
1. Chapter 1

The whole thing sounds entirely too cliché to her.

Graduation and then two weeks in Hawaii? She knows her dads mean well but she thought she'd get to do something amazing like backpack through Europe or spend two crazy weeks in Thailand.

And yes, she's well aware that those are cliché trips as well but you can't blame her for wanting to experience as much as she can before she heads off to school.

So when her dads give her two plane tickets for Oahu and a credit card with enough money to last her and Santana throughout the trip, she's excited but she's not expecting much adventure. This won't even be her first time going to Hawaii, granted that was going to the big island when she was eight.

She sounds ungrateful but she's really not. She loves her dads, more than anything else and she loves the idea of getting away and relaxing on the beach with her best friend.

She just wanted to experience something new and exciting. And she's just not sure that's waiting for her there.

* * *

Puck loves his summer job.

His uncle has been hooking him up with this gig since he was 17 and it's still the highlight of his year.

The beaches are always amazing and he learned to surf the first summer he was there. Surfing, beer and girls. That's what Hawaii has been about to him for the last four years.

He packs light despite the two months he'll be there. Board shorts and sunscreen make up his summer wardrobe when he's not at the resort and all of his work clothes are already there. Add the sick pair of aviators he bought last summer and he's ready to go.

Except for one thing, the only thing he hates about his summer job.

Shaving off his mohawk.

He gets why he has to do it but that doesn't make it suck any less. He spends all year growing out it out and then has to shave it off every June. The resort his uncle owns is super ritzy and the older (rich) people that stay there don't usually like that kind of thing.

He's bummed for like two seconds before he remembers what he gains by losing the hair.

Surf, sand and babes for two crazy fun months in the sun.

Totally worth it.

* * *

By the time July rolls around Rachel is dying to get out of Ohio.

She's set to leave for Hawaii in less than a week and she can't help but feel a lot more excited than she was when she first found out she was going.

Her best friend Santana has a lot to do with that. After being reminded that they are young, hot and have a couple of fake IDs (courtesy of Santana's older brother) two weeks on the beach sounds pretty good to her.

Rachel glances around her room as her suitcase lies half packed on her bed. She has bags of new clothes sitting neatly beside her closet filled with sundresses and swimsuits, flip flops in every color under the rainbow; all waiting to be sorted and folded.

She has a two page list written on the pretty pink notepad that sits on her desk to remind her of everything she needs to bring. Santana told her to plan for any situation and Rachel tends to take things like that seriously. She has a couple of nice dresses just in case, some heels and pretty jewelry.

She has just sit down to go through the first shopping bag when her bedroom door bursts open.

"What in the hell? I called you like four times!" She looks up in surprise at Santana.

"I didn't even hear it ring. Now that I think about it…" She gets up and grabs her phone off the desk. "See…its dead. Not my fault." Santana rolls her eyes and sits on her bed.

"You're packing already? We don't leave for like a week?" It's Rachel's turn to roll her eyes.

"I want to make sure I have everything I need. I can't believe you haven't started packing." Santana laughs and shakes her head.

"Bathing suit & sunglasses. What else do I need?" Rachel puts her hands on her hips.

"You told me to be prepared for any situation!" Santana laughs as if Rachel is missing the point.

"Yeah, aka bring condoms." Santana laughs even harder when Rachel starts to blush.

"We're only going to be there two weeks, San. I can assure you that will not be happening."

The thought of hooking up with some random guy while on vacation is absurd to her. But she's still blushing when she's crossing another item off of her list.

* * *

"Puck! Wake up, idiot! You're late for work!"

He groans as he rolls over to see Mike standing over him with a clipboard in his hand. He's shaking his head and giving Puck a disapproving look.

"What the hell man? Why are you in my room?" Mike holds up a ring full of keys and laughs when Puck curses. He's only been here two weeks; his Uncle Tom is going to kill him!

"Fuck me!" He almost falls out of bed when he gets up and Mike just laughs as he points to the clock.

"Fifteen minutes, Puck. That's all you get."

Puck pulls on the required work uniform, khaki pants and a white polo shirt and starts searching his room for his shoes. All of the employees stay in a huge cottage behind the resort; a place that they all fondly refer to as "The Real World House". All of the out of town employees stay there for a fraction of the cost of paying rent somewhere else for the summer. Puck gets to stay there for free, because of his uncle, but he doesn't get to show up for work late just because he's related to the owner.

He finally finds his shoes under a beach towel and he pulls them on quickly before splashing some cold water on his face. He grabs his cell phone from where it sits on his dresser and shuts the door quickly behind him.

It's a five minute walk from the cottage to the main entrance of the resort but Puck half runs so he's there in half that time. Mike is waiting for him at the front desk with his instructions for the day. Puck is lucky because he doesn't have to do the same thing every day like most of the other employees. He's a sort of jack of all trades and they stick him wherever they think he'll be needed the most. Today he's starting with surf lessons, and that's Puck's favorite job here.

"There is a group waiting for you down at the beach." Puck looks over the list of names on Mike's clipboard.

"Any hot chicks?" Mike laughs as he shakes his head.

"Not that I saw but we don't really like the same kinds of girls, Puck." Puck chuckles as he hands the clipboard back to Mike.

"Not true, Michael. I like every kind of girl." He gives him a little salute and walks back to his cottage to get his board shorts and flip flops.

Ten minutes later he's got his toes in the sand and he can't wait to get on his board and into the ocean.

* * *

"Oh my god. This place is fucking incredible!"

While Rachel might not share the same vocabulary as her best friend, she definitely agrees with the sentiment.

"Wow, I can't believe this is where we're staying." The cab rolls past a huge sign that reads Kanikapila Resort and pulls up to the large front entrance. The cab stops and the driver gets out to help them with their bags. There is a resort employee waiting with a large cart to take their luggage and they thank the driver before he pulls away.

"Aloha awakea! Welcome to the Kanikapila Resort!" Their bellhop takes them through the front entrance and waits while they check in at the front desk. They smile at the good looking Asian man behind the counter as he hands them their keys.

"My name is Mike, so if you need anything just let me know." Santana gives him a flirty smile that makes Rachel roll her eyes. Her best friend is the biggest flirt she knows, but that's one of the things she loves about her.

When they get to their room they both stop and gasp and their bellhop chuckles a little to himself. Rachel notices that he's also extremely attractive (must be a requirement to work here) and his name tag reads Sam.

"Welcome to the Honu suite." They thank Sam as he unloads their bags and they make sure to give him a good tip. He winks at Rachel as he shuts the door and Santana grins at her.

"I think we're gonna like it here. Thank you Daddy Berries!" Rachel giggles as they start to walk around to explore where they will be living for the next two weeks.

The room is huge, with a living room in the middle and a room off to each side. Each room has its own bathroom and its own balcony. The living room has two full couches and the biggest television Rachel has ever seen.

"Jesus, Rach. Did your dads have to take out a second mortgage to afford this place?" Rachel runs her hand over the soft fabric of a couch in the main room.

"Looks like it." Thankfully the girls don't have to fight over the rooms because they are exactly the same. Rachel takes the one to the right and is about to unpack her first suitcase when Santana comes in and lies back against her pillows.

"What should we do first?" Rachel laughs and lies down next to her friend.

"San, we just got off of a fourteen hour flight. Don't you want to relax?" Santana shrugs and holds up a resort catalog. "Where did you find that?"

"On the coffee table. Let's see what there is to do here."

Apparently there is a lot. Surfing, dance lessons, luaus, tennis, you name it, they've got it. One thing catches both of their eyes though and they point to it at the same time.

"Tanning!"

* * *

Puck might love giving surf lessons, but he does not love giving them to old people.

That sounds really fucked up but it takes a lot of patience and that's something Puck just doesn't have. Sometimes his group will be a bunch of kids his age and then sometimes he gets groups like this. He's gone through all of the basics and a normal group would be almost ready to go off on their own by now.

It's been over an hour and he still hasn't set foot in the water.

"Okay, that's enough for today. Let's all meet here tomorrow at noon." It's hardly ever that a lesson goes past a day but he thinks that this group is gonna need a lot more time. They all thank him as he grabs his board and tucks it under his arm. He starts the walk back to the resort and drops his board off at the little surf shack they have set up on the beach.

He's just about to reach the front desk when two brunettes walk past him. The taller one is a gorgeous Latina with tanned skin and a banging body. The other is petite, like seriously this girl is tiny, but she's got legs up to her ears. She's probably the hottest chick he's ever seen in his life, if he's being honest. They are giggling as they pass and the shorter one gives him a smile as she walks by.

He's just about to say something to them when Mike calls him over. Fucking cockblocker.

"We need you in the gym until closing. Finn got a gnarly leg cramp so he's out for the rest of the day." Puck is still looking in the direction of the two girls, who appear to have gone in the direction of the salon.

"Who were those girls?" Mike shrugs.

"They checked in late this morning. They are staying in the Honu suite." They must be rich girls then, if they are staying in one of the pricier suites.

"Well, if they request a tour guide I better be first on that list." Puck grins as Mike rolls his eyes.

"You'll be the first to know. Now get to work."

* * *

"Did you see that guy?"

Rachel did see the guy, she smiled at him even, but she doesn't want to tell Santana that. Her friend will just run away with it and insist on tracking him down. So she plays dumb instead.

"What guy?" Santana doesn't notice, just lies down on the tanning bed next to Rachel's.

"The tall, dark and gorgeous one that passed us on our way here. He was beautiful." Rachel laughs as she grabs her little tanning glasses and puts them on. Her friend isn't lying though, he was gorgeous. Tall with tanned skin and strong muscled arms. She's assuming he's a guest here since he had that 'just at the beach' look and sand on his shoes.

"Sorry I missed him then." Santana giggles as she pulls the top over her and Rachel does the same. She's not one for tanning at home, but she's from Ohio and unfortunately she doesn't have naturally golden skin like Santana.

She only stays in the bed for five minutes (she doesn't want to be a lobster all week) and is pulling on her cover up when Santana's bed opens. They check out each other's tans and Santana whistles as Rachel spins around.

"Looking good, and you're only going to get darker. Now, more importantly, where can we go to get some food?" Rachel laughs as she grabs her bag and they walk arm in arm out the door.

They go upstairs to change before dinner and they dress for the heat in sundresses and flip flops. Santana checks her resort catalog for restaurants and she closes her eyes and points to one.

"The Palm Terrace, that's where we're going." Rachel smiles at Santana's enthusiasm and it hits her then that this is why her dads wanted her to come here. So she could spend two luxurious weeks with her best friend in one of the prettiest places in the world. And judging by all the guys she's seen since she got here, this place also has the prettiest boys in the world.

She's starting to think this trip will be one she'll remember forever.


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up to the sound of the ocean waves crashing onto the beach and feeling the warm Hawaiian breeze blowing through the curtains of the open window is something Rachel could definitely get used to.

She was so exhausted the night before she fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow and didn't wake up once throughout the night. She doesn't even know what time it is but it feels like it's the middle of the day. She's shocked when she checks the clock and sees that it's only 9 am until she remembers the three hour time change.

She tries to close her eyes to fall back asleep but her body won't let her so she sits up and stretches before swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She pads quietly into the main room of their suite before pushing open the door to Santana's room. Her friend is sprawled on her bed in nothing but a bra and panties and Rachel laughs to herself as she pulls the door shut as softly as she can.

After a quick shower and a slather of sunscreen she scribbles a note to Santana to meet her on the beach when she gets up. She grabs a beach towel and the book she's been reading and heads down to the main lobby. There's a girl working at the front desk today, her name tag reads Quinn and she's nice enough to tell Rachel where to go to grab a beach chair.

It's nearing eleven am when Santana finally shows up and sets a chair down next to Rachel.

"Thanks for leaving me up there all alone, asshole." Rachel laughs and sets her book down.

"I left you a note, doesn't that count for something?" Santana just shrugs and looks out over the water.

"What should we do today?" Rachel pulls a piece of paper out of the pages of her book and hands it to Santana. "Surfing lessons?"

Rachel just grins at Santana's raised eyebrows and leans back in her chair. She's determined to make this trip as interesting as possible. Learning how to surf sounds like just the thing they need.

* * *

The first thing that goes through Puck's mind when he gets his schedule for the day is that there is no way he's going to make it through his surf lessons for the day.

He was surprised to find Quinn working the front desk when he walked into the lobby, mostly because she works in the salon and he hardly ever sees her up front.

"Good Morning Puck. Tina is dragging Mike to some wedding today so he asked me to fill in for him." That makes sense he supposes. Mike and his girlfriend Tina live in Hawaii all year round and Puck is always jealous that he doesn't have to stay at the resort all the time. Quinn pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it to Puck.

"The gym again? Finn's leg still fucked up?" Quinn shoots him a disapproving look for using foul language but Puck just rolls his eyes. There aren't any guests standing nearby, what's the big deal?

"He'll be around. He just wants to stay off his leg because it's still a little sore. I'm sure he'll be fine tomorrow. " Puck shrugs and folds the paper before putting it in his pocket. He's walking away when Quinn calls out to him.

"Don't forget about the luau tonight! Make sure you're there by eight thirty, you gotta work the bar."

There are worst things in life than serving fruity drinks to gorgeous girls in tiny dresses so Puck grins and waves as he heads down to the water.

* * *

"So what do we have to do, like rent surfboards or something?"

Rachel is looking through the guide in her hands while simultaneously looking around the beach for the surf shack shown on the map.

"It says that you get a practice board for your lesson and then if you want you can rent a board to use after the class is over." Santana looks out over the water and watches the surfers already out on the water.

"I don't really see the appeal of surfing. Except maybe the hot boys in board shorts." Rachel is still looking at the map in her hand when she hears Santana whistle. "Speaking of hot boys in board shorts. Damn! Wait...that's the guy from yesterday!" Rachel looks up from her guide book so fast she's sure Santana is going to notice. Thankfully she's too busy staring to notice anything Rachel is doing.

He's standing in front of a small group that mainly consists of three older couples and a kid that looks barely sixteen. Rachel can't believe that out of all of the things he could be doing at the resort he'd be taking the same surfing lessons they are.

They grab their practice boards from the small building off to the side of the beach and head over towards the group. Rachel is just thinking that the instructor should be here any minute when the hot guy stands in front of the group and clears his throat.

"So most of you were here yesterday but it looks like we've got three new people with us today so we're going to start from the beginning. For those of you that are new, my name is Puck and I'll be your surfing instructor." He looks at Rachel then and winks and she can feel herself blushing when Santana nudges her and whispers in her ear.

"Holy shit, he's our instructor? How are we supposed to pay attention?" Rachel giggles and nudges her in the arm before turning back to Puck.

Her best friend has a good point though. It's hard to concentrate on water safety and paddling techniques when the instructor is the most gorgeous man she's ever seen.

It's also hard to concentrate when she can feel his eyes on her through most of their lesson on the beach.

* * *

To say that Puck was surprised when the two hottest chicks staying at the resort joined his surf lesson would be the fucking understatement of the year.

He was expecting the worst lesson of all time but instead he's actually having fun. And it's not just because of the addition of hot girls but everyone is picking it up quickly this time. It only takes half an hour before everyone is ready to paddle out for the first time.

He hasn't gotten a chance to speak to either girl but he can already tell the shorter one is more his type. She's been focused on actually learning to surf, instead of just giggling and trying to flirt with him like other girls would. Her friend doesn't really seem that interested in learning so he's guessing it was the shorter one's idea.

He's sick of not knowing anything about her so he walks up to her and her friend after the lesson is over and they are returning their boards to the surf shack. He smirks when he notices her blush as he walks over and he knows he's not supposed to see her friend nudge her in the side.

"Did you ladies have fun today?" The tall one kind of sniggers and looks away but the shorter one gives him a killer smile and nods.

"It was exhilarating! I don't think I've ever had that much fun in the water." Puck is just about to say something dirty when he remembers that he doesn't even know this girl. He tries to think of something else they can talk about when he remembers what Quinn told him that morning.

"You guys going to the luau tonight?" It looks like neither of them even knew about it when they look at each other and have one of those secret ESP girl conversations he'll never understand. The shorter one gives him another killer smile (fuck, she's gorgeous) and shrugs.

"We'll probably stop by. What's the dress code?" He grins as he leans his board against the wall of the surf shack before turning back to her.

"No dress code, but come by the bar and say hi. I'll be working there most of the night." She blushes again and he thinks she looks cute as hell when she does that.

"Maybe we will."

She grabs her friend's hand, who has just been standing and watching their exchange with an amused look on her face, and starts to pull her away. Puck watches her walk away before calling out to her.

"Hey!" She turns around and puts a hand over her eyes so she can see him. "What's your name?"

She gives him a shy smile before she calls back.

"It's Rachel. See you tonight, Puck."

He knows he's in trouble when he realizes he's still staring down the beach in her direction even though she's out of sight.

* * *

"I have to say, I'm impressed."

Rachel has her lip gloss wand up to her lip but stops when Santana walks into her bathroom. She's got on the shortest dress Rachel has ever seen and a pair of strappy heels, her hair in curls down her back. Rachel looks down at her light pink sundresses and frowns before looking back at Santana.

"Well don't you look gorgeous?" Santana rolls her eyes and moves so she is standing next to Rachel in the mirror. Their eyes meet in the mirror and Santana grins.

"Don't play dumb with me. You flirted your little ass off today. You practically had that boy eating out of the palm of your hand." Rachel blushes as she pulls her brush through her hair.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Santana can see right through her and Rachel is well aware of that. "And anyways, he's not a boy." Santana raises an eyebrow and Rachel giggles.

"He's gotta be 21 at least, probably older." It makes them both laugh and Santana helps Rachel get ready by picking out a sexy pure white dress that makes her tan look outstanding. Santana fixes her makeup to make it sultrier and they add a few light curls to her hair. Rachel plays with the ends of her hair while Santana looks her up and down.

"There. That man won't know what hit him."

She feels like an adult for the first time since she turned eighteen when they head down to the luau. She's got her fake id in her wallet and it'll be the first time it's ever been used even though she's had it over a year. She's got one arm looped with Santana's as they step through the arches of the outdoor area where it's being held. They see their bellhop from the night before Sam passing out leis at the front entrance.

"He's yummy. I think I might want him." Rachel laughs as Santana adjusts her dress so her cleavage is a little more prominent before they reach him. He smiles sweetly at Rachel as he places a lei over her head.

"Aloha ahiahi, ladies." He winks at Santana when he places the lei over her head and Rachel almost can't believe it when Santana licks her lips and says, "Thanks, it's been too long since I've gotten lei-d."

Rachel almost bursts into a fit of giggles when Sam actually blushes as he points them in the direction of an open table. There is a stage set up where a band is playing remixed Top 40 songs that remind Rachel of those rom-com soundtracks from movies set in Hawaii. There are couples dancing on the dance floor in front of the stage, some older couples and younger ones that are surely on their honeymoon.

Rachel can feel his eyes on her before she even sees him. She makes sure to wait just a minute before she turns around and catches his gaze. He gives her the sexiest smirk (seriously, his mouth should be illegal) and when she licks her lips it's entirely involuntary.

"So do you wanna sit down or…" Santana stops midsentence when she notices Rachel's not paying attention. "You know, you could go talk to him instead of just eye fucking him across the room." That pulls Rachel out of her little trance and she tries to play it off but she knows she fails miserably.

"What? No…I wasn't…that's not…" Santana just laughs and pats her on the ass.

"Go talk to that boy. I'm gonna look for a hot boy of my own." Rachel laughs as Santana walks away and when she looks back at Puck he's still watching her. He moves his finger in a come here motion and she's headed his way before she even realizes it. He's wearing a tight black sleeveless shirt with a pair of dark blue jean s and it's not her fault that she can't take her eyes off of his tanned, muscular arms.

"Your friend ditched you already?" She laughs as he points to Santana, who is already dancing with a young guy in the crowd.

"Santana is a free spirit. You can't really tame that one." He's smiling when she turns back to him and she thinks it looks just as good on him as the smirk does. "So, what's good here?"

"Well, I've been told I make a killer Bahama Mama but…" He's giving her a questioning look and she laughs.

"What?" He shrugs his shoulders as he grabs a bottle from behind him.

"There's just no way in hell you're 21." She knows that she should just pull out her fake id and show him but she doesn't want to lie about her age right off the bat. She's not sure why though. What she does do is blush and it automatically gives her away. He finishes mixing the drink, adds a cherry and places it in front of her.

"What about…" He just shakes his head and moves his face closer to hers.

"I won't tell if you won't." Her heart starts to race with him so close and she fumbles as she tries to take her wallet out of her purse. "Don't worry about it. I got you."

She can't help but shiver a little at the low voice he says it and when he speaks again with his gorgeous hazel eyes boring into hers she can barely breathe.

"I have tomorrow off. Think you can blow off your friend for a little while and go do something with me?"

She should be put off by his forwardness. She should be embarrassed by how fast she says yes.

She's neither.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's stupid for me to be nervous…right?"

She's holding the third (eighth) dress up to herself in the mirror and she can practically hear Santana rolling her eyes behind her.

"For the millionth time, Rachel, yes! You shouldn't be nervous." Rachel takes a deep breath as she tosses the dress she's holding on the bed next to Santana. "Where is he taking you anyway?"

"I'm not really sure," she says as she grabs another dress from her suitcase. Santana laughs as she gets up from the bed with one of the dresses that Rachel already decided against. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just not used to seeing you be okay with not knowing every little detail about something." She hands Rachel the dress and grins. "And here, wear this one. It's way hot."

Rachel smiles as she grabs the black and white striped dress from her friend. "You're right. It's stupid for me to be nervous because it's not like this is going to turn into anything." Santana just nods and sits back down on Rachel's hotel bed, playing with the tassels on one of the throw pillows. "And you're right about the dress too."

Santana laughs and Rachel throws her a wink before she twirls around and heads for the bathroom door.

* * *

Puck is fucking stoked that Rachel agreed to go out with him.

He didn't get to talk to her all that much since right after he asked her out her friend came over and asked her to dance with her. He was working anyways and his uncle would have his ass if he knew that he was fucking around when he should be working.

He still got a date with the girl so he can't complain, right?

This is one time he's glad that he's been on the island enough summers to know where to take a girl like Rachel. And he might not really know her yet but he knows his usual bar & beach date isn't going to cut it. He can already tell she's the classy type that needs to be impressed, not like the trashy girls he usually meets on his summers here.

He doesn't worry too much about what he wears, mainly because he's a stud (he doesn't need to lie) and he looks good in pretty much everything but also because the date he has planned is pretty chill. It takes him ten minutes to get dressed and he checks his watch to see how much time he has until they are supposed to meet in the lobby.

The last thing he grabs is his sunglasses before he's pulling his door shut behind him.

* * *

She's pacing.

She never paces, and she usually thinks it's a very obnoxious thing for someone to do, but here she is, wearing down a hole in the lobby carpet.

She catches a glimpse of herself in a mirror on the wall and it forces her to stop to take a breath. Her makeup is flawless (thank you Santana) and her dress hugs her curves in all the right places. She has on a pair of strappy sandals that aren't dressy but they aren't flip flops either. She thinks she looks pretty damn good actually and she's sure Puck will feel the same.

That's another thing that has been bugging her, his name. What kind of name is Puck? She's been wondering about it all night, did he play hockey in high school or something? She mentally adds that to the list of conversation topics she came up with last night (she's always prepared for a lull in conversation) as she sits down in one of the lobby chairs.

She doesn't think anything of it when she hears the lobby doors open but she turns around quickly when she hears someone call out Puck's name. He's looking at her and sends her a wink before he walks up to the lobby desk and starts talking to Mike. Mike hands him something that Rachel can't see and Puck thanks him before heading her way. She tries not to stare but it's hard when he walks towards her with such confidence, like he's the hottest guy here and he knows it.

She thinks that he probably does anyways.

* * *

He's almost stunned by how fucking amazing she looks.

She has on this tight little dress (seriously, it might as well be a tube top) that on any other girl would seem slutty but on her it's perfection. Her hair is pulled back but still down and it's in these gorgeous curls he wants to sink his hands into. She's just sitting there, legs crossed at the ankle, with miles of tanned skin on display and he wants her.

Plain and simple, he wants this girl and he's gonna do anything he can to get her.

"Good morning, gorgeous." He doesn't usually say things so corny but it makes her blush so he figures what the hell. He holds out his hand and she takes it as she stands up.

"I must admit no one has ever asked me out on a day date before." He grins as he holds up the key in his hand. She raises an eyebrow and he laughs as he shakes his head and holds out his hand again.

"Come on." She looks tentative and then finally takes his hand. He's not usually the hand holding type but he lets their fingers intertwine as he leads her out onto the beach.

* * *

"Puck, where are we going?"

She is basically being pulled across the beach and while she doesn't hate it, she'd still like an idea of where they are headed. He stops and it's sudden and unexpected so naturally Rachel runs right into him. He's laughing as he looks down at her and when her eyes meet his she feels like she might melt right into the sand. She'd blame it on the heat but he's so much hotter.

"Rachel…just trust me." He sounds so sincere and his eyes are so beautiful that she just nods dumbly. He grins and starts tugging her along with him again.

After what feels like a half hour walk (ten minutes) they come upon a dock where a large speedboat sits swaying softly in the ocean. She looks at Puck with a raised eyebrow and he just winks as he tells her to follow him. He climbs into the boat and turns around to hold out his hand but Rachel is hesitant.

"Is it yours?" Puck laughs and shakes his head.

"It belong s to the resort, but my Uncle Tom owns the resort, so he lets me take it out if I have a good reason." She blushes as he reaches for her again. "And you are a very good reason. Come on."

She's still blushing when he pulls her into the boat and she takes a seat as he stands up to take the wheel. He looks over at her seriously before he starts it up.

"Have you ever ridden in a boat before?" She laughs quietly and nods. "Good. Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

He loves this fucking boat.

His uncle bought it two summers ago and it's mainly used for small outings for business men and the like. It's hardly ever used but Puck has gotten permission twice to take it out on his own. Both times were day trips with friends. This is the first time he's ever asked to use it on a date.

He loves the way it feels behind the wheel, it's almost like when he's on his motorcycle at home. It's the same kind of exhilarating feeling like you're free, like nothing in the world can touch you.

He looks back to see Rachel grinning as her hair whips behind her from the wind. He thinks (for the hundredth time that day at least) that she is honestly the hottest girl he's ever seen. He's pretty stoked that he's got one final surprise up his sleeve that he knows she won't be expecting.

It's nearing noon when he parks the boat at the tiny dock on a little island that holds nothing more than beach and lots of palm trees. Usually it's used as a party spot away from the guests so they can act as stupid as they please without being judged. This is the first time Puck's been here this summer though because the season has been too busy so far to party.

He helps Rachel step out of the boat and she glances around with wide eyes.

"Where are we? This place is gorgeous." He grabs a blanket and a box from inside the boat and puts his other hand on the small of her back as he guides her to the beach.

"Pleasure Island." She turns around quickly and he laughs as he shakes his head. "Not that kind of pleasure, that's just what we call it. No one comes here for that, it's just a place away from the resort where we come to have fun." She smiles as he lays the blanket on the ground (fuck yeah, he knows how to be romantic and shit) and she sits down with her legs tucked under her.

"It's beautiful." He sits down and puts one hand behind her back as he leans closer to her.

"So beautiful." Her blush runs deep and he grins before pulling away. She finally notices the box sitting next to them and points at it.

"What's that?" He smirks as he pulls out the lunch he asked Brittany to make for them (she works at the nicest restaurant in the resort and she happens to love him) and a bottle of expensive champagne he swiped before they left. He'll pay for it later; his uncle knows he's good for it. "Puck, this is too much."

He shakes his head as he pours her a glass and then one for himself. She smiles shyly as she takes the glass from him and takes a little sip. They sit in silence for a few minutes, watching the waves crash along the beach, until finally she speaks.

"So tell me about yourself Puck. Like for starters, is that your real name?" He laughs and shakes his head.

"Well, kind of. It's part of my last name, Puckerman. My first name is Noah but I haven't been called that by anyone other than my ma or little sister since I was seven."

Since his dad left, but he's not going to get into all that with her yet.

"Noah…I like it. I'm not really one for nicknames." He frowns at the way she says it, like she's been called mean things before. He thinks it's weird that he wants to kick someone's ass just because of the tone of her voice.

"Why's that?" She shrugs and puts both hands behind her on the sand so she can lean back.

"I wasn't very popular in high school. Well, not until I was a junior and became friends with Santana. Then people started leaving me alone. But the first two years were tough. I got made fun of a lot, lots of unfriendly nicknames."

"Why would anyone make fun of you," he scoffs. "You're gorgeous." She laughs sadly and shakes her head, as if the idea of her being gorgeous is something foreign.

"I'm a singer; I was part of my high school's glee club. We were…unpopular…to say the least." He finds that he's actually listening, that he actually cares about this girl and his past. It's something that has never really happened to him before.

He's never cared until now.

* * *

Rachel is surprised when she glances up and sees the sun start to set.

"I can't believe we've stayed out here all day," she says to him as she digs her toes deeper into the sand. He grins and stands up and she looks after him curiously but he just winks and walks away. He does that a lot, winks at her, and on another boy she might find it annoying but on Puck (Noah) she finds it endearing. When he comes back he's carrying a small stick and she raises her eyebrows as he walks further into the sand. "Puck, what are you doing?"

"As corny as this is going to sound, I want you to remember this day forever." She grins as he writes their names in the sand, no heart, just their names engraved into the beach until the next tide comes in. He smiles widely at her when he's finished and she laughs as he pulls her closer to him. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and rests his other hand gently on her neck. "I really like you, Rachel."

Her breath hitches in her throat because she knows what comes next. She doesn't say anything back, just nods as he leans in closer to her. The second his lips touch hers it's like a fire ignites within her. He doesn't deepen the kiss right away, just plays with his lips against hers until she's the one that's pulling him closer.

They stand like that until they are both out of breath and when he touches his forehead to hers she knows she's in trouble.

She wasn't supposed to like anyone on this trip. She wasn't supposed to want someone as much as she wants him.

She whispers his given name and he furrows his brow as if he's trying to read her mind before he's pulling her in for another kiss.

She doesn't know what's going to happen. She only knows that she likes him too, and that she will make the most of the time that they have left together.


End file.
